Saint-Prex, Switzerland & Roseville, MN, US – 05 April, 2018 — Ferring Pharmaceuticals* and Rebiotix Inc. today announce that they have agreed to the acquisition of Rebiotix by Ferring. This acquisition brings together two innovative healthcare companies that share a common commitment to exploring and understanding the human microbiome to develop new solutions for patients.
The most advanced investigational microbiome treatment from Rebiotix is RBX2660, a non-antibiotic treatment currently in Phase 3 development for the prevention of recurrent CDI. RBX2660 has the potential to be the first human microbiome product approved anywhere in the world. In the US, RBX2660 has received FDA Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug Designations, which means the FDA considers it eligible for Expedited Review, once the submission has been made.
“The scientific advances Rebiotix has made add significant strategic value to Ferring’s leadership in gastroenterology,” said Michel Pettigrew, President of the Executive Board and Chief Operating Officer, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “Therapies targeted towards the microbiome have the potential to transform healthcare. Together, we have a unique opportunity to help people living with debilitating and life-threatening conditions like Clostridium difficile infection.”
Rebiotix’s proprietary MRT drug platform delivers healthy, live, human-derived microbes into the gastrointestinal tract. It provides a standardised, stabilised product that is ready-to-use in an easy-to-administer format. The MRT pipeline consists of a number of investigational treatments including RBX7455, a non-frozen, lyophilised oral capsule formulation, in development for the prevention of recurrent CDI.
“Ferring shares our passion for understanding the role the microbiome plays in human health and has global capabilities that offer huge potential for the investigational therapies that we have in development,” said Lee Jones, Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Rebiotix, Inc. “Rebiotix was founded to revolutionise healthcare by harnessing the power of the human microbiome and this is a significant milestone in achieving that goal.”
“This acquisition strengthens our innovation pipeline and complements our own ongoing microbiome research as well as our partnerships with world-leading organisations in this area,” said Per Falk, Chief Science Officer, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. “Rebiotix’s culture and passion for high quality, innovative research fits with our own and complements our existing R&D capabilities.”
In addition to the acquisition of Rebiotix, Ferring, as a leader in gastroenterology, is supported by ongoing partnerships with world-leading research organisations in the field of microbiome research including the Karolinska Institutet and Science for Life Laboratory, the Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Intralytix, The Institut Pasteur, the University of Lille, MyBiotics Pharma, March of Dimes and Metabogen.
